In contemporary manufacturing environments, electronic circuits boards are processed (e.g., soldered) to electrically couple components to the circuit board. Typically, flux is applied to all or some of the area to be soldered so as to facilitate the soldering process. Historically, manufacturers have employed syringes filled with solder flux or brushes dipped in a well of solder flux to apply the solder flux to those areas of a printed circuit board (or the like) to be fluxed. Such practices are generally ineffective in applying a uniform flux film (or layer) in a controlled manner. Additionally, brush dispensing techniques are known to contaminate the solder flux well (i.e., consequently contaminating the printed circuit boards), therefore requiring the well to be continuously cleaned and replenished with fresh solder flux. Accordingly, these prior solder fluxing practices generally result in poor yields, reduced production output, and early product failure.
When a product fails in the field, repair technicians must remove defective components and flux and solder replacement components to effect a proper repair. In the past, repair technicians have used the same fluxing techniques as used in the manufacturing environment, which regrettably have tended to produce the same insufficient results. Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a solder dispenser that can provide a uniform flux layer to an area to be fluxed to avoid the contamination detriments of the past.